Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 18 – The Strong

With the season entering a crucial stretch over the festive period, we’ve given the Season Ticker rating a thorough update. Crystal Palace could be set to profit from a very favourable festive period, whilst West Ham and West Brom also have reason for optimism.

Crystal Palace

Alan Pardew’s side are full of confidence with four wins from their last six matches, and offer up plenty of viable options for Fantasy managers to ponder at either end of the pitch. The fixtures against Bournemouth and Aston Villa in the next four look particularly favourable, with both sides among the fives teams conceding the most shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks. The home clash against Swansea also looks potentially advantageous, given the Welsh side have yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels this season. Yannick Bolasie (6.2) should attract some investment, then, with the DR Congo international the stand-out attacking option at Selhurst Park with Yohan Cabaye struggling to shake off a heel problem.

The Eagles have conceded just three goals in their last four matches, but only the Swansea and Villa match-ups look favourable in the next six. Bournemouth have scored eight times over the last four Gameweeks, while Chelsea’s season could perhaps be about to kick-start after a promising display against Sunderland last weekend. Man City and Tottenham also appear likely to score against Palace, so while owners of Scott Dann (5.5) will be more than happy to hold, he may need to bring home attacking points to justify his price tag. Wayne Hennessey still offers great value at 4.1 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

West Ham

The Hammers have played out three consecutive goalless draws, so with only the match against City in Gameweek 23 looking truly difficult in the next six, interest in their defensive assets should certainly be on the rise. Villa have only scored in three of their five home matches, while Newcastle feature among the bottom five sides for shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks. Southampton have only managed to score twice in their last four matches, while Liverpool have failed to net in two of their previous three. With Slaven Bilic adopting a more defensive gameplan in the absence of so many of his key attacking players, investment in the likes of Aaron Cresswell (5.5) or James Tomkins (5.0) could pay off over the next few weeks.

Although the West Ham attack is seriously depleted right now, Bilic expects the likes of Dimitri Payet (7.7) back before mid-January, whilst the imminent return of Manuel Lanzini (5.3) also helps in the final third. All of the fixtures over the next six Gameweeks are pretty reasonable, with the clashes against Villa, Southampton, Bournemouth and Newcastle in particular standing out.

West Brom

While the Baggies have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven matches, the fact they face three favourable home clashes (NEW, STO, AVL) in the next six bodes well for their backline’s prospects. Newcastle have managed the joint-fewest number of goal attempts (29) over the last four Gameweeks, while Stoke have only scored three times in four. Additionally, Swansea are another team struggling for goals, having failed to score in five of their last seven, while Southampton haven’t found the back of the net in two of the previous three at St Mary’s. Craig Dawson (5.1) looks the best option at the back, with Ben Foster’s return to training casting doubt over how much longer Boaz Myhill (4.8) will be the first-choice goalkeeper.

The outlook for the West Brom attack isn’t so bright, given Salomon Rondon and James McClean will serve three-match suspensions after being sent off against Bournemouth. The Newcastle and Villa match-ups stand out as favourable clashes in the next six, while the fixtures against Swansea and Southampton are also reasonable. There are doubts as to who will lead the line in Rondon’s absence, though, with Rickie Lambert (5.4) and Saido Berahino (5.9) potentially sharing playing time, although the latter could also replace McClean out wide. Given that Pulis’ men having only scored 17 goals this season, it’s unlikely we will be looking to the Hawthorns for differentials among our midfield and forward lines.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Man United
The one piece of good news for Louis van Gaal on Saturday was Anthony Martial (7.7) scoring for the first time since his brace against Southampton in Gameweek 6. The matches against Swansea and Newcastle in the next four are favourable for the Frenchman’s prospects, while clashes against Stoke and Chelsea are fairly reasonable. None of United’s other attacking assets are really staking a claim for investment right now, though – despite his goal, Martial’s move to the right flank dents his appeal further.

Given Chris Smalling (6.8) returned to the starting XI against Norwich on Saturday, it was a big surprise to see United conceding twice against the Canaries. With only the trip to Anfield in Gameweek 22 looking unfavourable in the next six (sto, CHE, SWA, new, liv, SOT), the United rearguard should get back on track over the next month. David de Gea (5.7) offers the other safe option for Fantasy managers to consider.

Arsenal
With Mesut Ozil (9.9), Theo Walcott (8.3) and Aaron Ramsey (8.1) all producing the goods in recent matches, we’re currently spoilt for choice for Gunners midfield assets, with Olivier Giroud (9.0) also a viable option among the forwards. The next three fixtures (sot, BOU, NEW) make the option of doubling up on the Arsenal attack hugely tempting, with rotation perhaps less likely following the news Alexis Sanchez is set to sit out the festive period.

Bournemouth and Southampton currently top the table for goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, with 61, so defensive returns aren’t necessarily on the cards in those two matches. The Saints are struggling to convert those attempts into goals, though, while the Newcastle and Stoke match-ups in the next six look decent, so the likes of Hector Bellerin (5.9) and Laurent Koscielny (6.0) could be worthwhile options at the back.

Aston Villa
The midlands outfit have only managed one clean sheet in six matches under Remi Garde, but with low-scoring West Ham, Sunderland and West Brom to face over the next six Gameweeks, there could be some upside in owning a Villa defender over this period. The Norwich fixture in Gameweek 19 also looks reasonable, given the Canaries have registered the fewest numbers of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, with just 14. Micah Richards (4.4) looks the only secure starter, though it remains to be seen if he’ll recover from a knee injury in time for the Hammers clash.

While none of Villa’s next six (WHM, nor, sun, CPL, LEI, wba) are unfavourable in terms of attacking potential, the lack of a plum fixture means we’re unlikely to be seriously considering a Villa attacker for our 15-man squads. Jordan Ayew (5.5) has been the shining light in recent weeks, but the Ghanaian is one yellow card away from serving a one-match ban, while although Jordan Veretout (5.6) has racked up three assists in his last four outings, the Frenchman simply looks overpriced.

Norwich
The Canaries haven’t been on our radars when it comes to providing budget options at the back so far this season, but with only the trip to Tottenham unfavourable in the next six (tot, AVL, SOT, sto, bou, LIV), the likes of Russell Martin (4.4) and Declan Rudd (3.9) could provide some value over the next few weeks.

With Tottenham and Stoke among the stronger defensive units, it’s only the Villa match-up that looks favourable in the next six, with the Southampton and Bournemouth fixtures perhaps providing decent opportunities for Alex Neil’s men in attack. Wes Hoolahan could be of interest with his price now down to 4.8 in FPL, but in truth the Canaries attack is unlikely to capture the imagination of Fantasy bosses.

Tottenham
With three favourable matches (NOR, eve, SUN) over the next five Gameweeks, the Spurs attack looks worth tapping into. Everton have let in nine goals in their last five matches at Goodison Park, while Sunderland have conceded three times at Arsenal and Chelsea in recent weeks. Harry Kane (9.7) and Dele Alli (5.2) are the two obvious options for us to ponder over.

Coming up against three of the form strikers over the next four Gameweeks (Odion Ighalo, Romelu Lukaku and Jamie Vardy), defensive points could be difficult to come by after this weekend’s favourable home clash against Norwich. The Sunderland fixture in Gameweek 22 is very favourable, though, so with attacking returns also a possibility for Toby Alderweireld (5.9) and Eric Dier (5.3), the pair offer solid options at the back.